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Owners Sam Ramirez and Vee Meharu have reinvented one of Campbell’s oldest dives, Cardiff Lounge, as Cardiff & Cocktails. The name change is subtle, but it really says a lot about what’s different here: The emphasis is on craft cocktails, while retaining the classic Cardiff’s old-school feel.

Meharu says the changes were made in a way to keep the spirit of the place alive. “Campbell has really elevated its nightlife,” Meharu said, “so we needed to elevate along with Campbell. It looks old, but everything old is really new.”

If anything, layers of grit and grime left by legions of dancers and drinkers over the years have been stripped away to reveal the Cardiff of yesteryear. Walking into the Cardiff today feels like it might have been in the early ’60s, with modern upgrades, of course, like an amazing sound system and several sharp TVs. Even the bar surface has gotten a makeover of solid black leather and granite.

A vintage neon sign hangs on the jacquard-print decorated wall of Cardiff &<br />Cocktails, a reninvention of Campbell’s old Cardiff Lounge. (Sal<br />Pizarro/Staff)

The “lounge” aspect hasn’t gone away, though. The long, narrow space has low-slung, mid-century modern furniture, mostly in black with a serious “Mad Men” vibe. The lighting inside — provided by Edison bulbs, the hipster bar’s best friend, over the bar — is still low, with the only natural light coming from the door that leads out to Campbell Avenue. On first glance, it looks like the walls have been covered with a jacquard print paper, but it’s actually a hand-painted stencil. The red-orange neon sign against the back wall that says “CLUB” is a vintage piece, Meharu said, going back probably five decades.

Ramirez and Meharu worked similar wonders with the Continental in downtown San Jose, a bar infused with retro style. The Cardiff, though, retains a hip, dive bar atmosphere that the Continental couldn’t re-create (and, honestly, didn’t try to). A trait both venues share, though, is an elevated liquor menu. Let’s be honest: The Cardiff of the past was about the music and the crowd; people ordered domestic beer or had mixed drinks — the usual suspects like Jack Daniel’s & Coke and vodka tonics — that were served in plastic cups. The price was nice, but that was about it.

Cardiff & Cocktails is a whole new world. The quality of the spirits and glassware has risen quite a bit. The domestic bottles and cans — still no beer taps — have been replaced with some good craft beers like Firestone Walker’s 805, Lagunitas IPA and several varieties from San Diego brewer Ballast Point. (Wine drinkers, on the other hand, have very limited options here.)

On a recent Thursday night, I popped in for a martini and was pleased to find one of my favorite gins, St. George’s Botanivore, on the shelf against the bar’s giant back mirror. Seeing it served ice cold in a coupe glass with a twist of lemon yielded another discovery — the Cardiff has fresh citrus and peelers! For that drink, the $11 price was about what you’d pay elsewhere. That’s more than the old Cardiff charged for a drink, but you couldn’t have gotten that martini anyway.

The bartender, Everett Frampton, wasn’t afraid to flex his mixology muscles a little on the next drink, when he conjured up a Gin Monte Carlo using Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat Gin in place of bourbon. The spirit is aged in charred oak barrels, which gives the gin a golden hue and a slight bite to its flavor, which balanced nicely with Benedictine.

Co-owner says a cocktail menu is on its way, but until then the bartenders are perfectly able to make any of the craft cocktails you might order elsewhere.

The new look and new lineup have certainly drawn an older, more upscale crowd than the Cardiff is used to. The door opens at 3 p.m. and until around 8 or 9, the music stays at a subtle groove. Dance music starts after that, and on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays the place can get packed into the late hours.

There’s still no kitchen at Cardiff, so it’s good that there are plenty of food options around on Campbell Avenue. But for anyone looking for a solid drink in a comfortable atmosphere, Cardiff & Cocktails is a good new/old addition to Campbell’s “elevated” libation menu.

Sal Pizarro has written the Around Town column for The Mercury News since 2005. His column covers the people and events surrounding the cultural scene in Silicon Valley. In addition, he writes Cocktail Chronicles, a feature column on Silicon Valley bars and nightclubs.